ONCE-RACED at two, Galileo Chrome went through his three-year-old season undefeated, rounding off the campaign with a classic victory at Doncaster.

His first of four runs that year came in a 10-furlong maiden on fast ground at the Curragh, which he won by a head, but it was his next start that advertised Galileo Chrome’s star potential. This was at Leopardstown at the end of July, also over 10 furlongs, and he trounced Masteroffoxhounds and three others by six lengths and more. A step up into blacktype company was inevitable.

The Listed Yeats Stakes at Navan was his next start, and he was always travelling like a winner. Shane Crosse sent him to the front less than two furlongs from home and the pair stormed clear, winning the 13-furlong race easily by five lengths. The ground was soft that day, but good at Doncaster in September when Galileo Chrome beat Berkshire Rocco and Pyledriver by a neck and a length in the Group 1 St Leger, with Irish Derby winner Santiago another short head behind in fourth and a gap to the talented Hukum in fifth.

Rated 117 and a breakthrough first top-level winner for his Derby-winning sire Australia (Galileo), the Joseph O’Brien-trained bay looked like a potential cup star of 2021. However, the lure of breeding to a regally related classic winner proved too strong and Galileo Chrome was packed off to stud.

Now one of five Group/Grade 1 winners for his sire, Galileo Chrome is out of the twice-raced mile winner Curious Mind (Dansili), also dam of Galileo Chrome’s stakes-placed full-sister White Caviar (Australia).

Curious Mind has several eye-catching siblings, headed by the lightly-raced stakes winner Michelangelo (Galileo), a very close relation to her classic star and who ran third to Encke and Camelot in the 2012 edition of the St Leger. His full-brother No Heretic (Galileo) won three times over 12 furlongs before landing the Chester Cup over an extended two and a quarter miles, another full-brother Mr Smith (Galileo) won on the level and three times over hurdles, while their half-brother Private Secretary (Kingman) beat Spanish Mission in an 11-furlong listed race at Goodwood and later was successful in Hong Kong.

They are all out of Intrigued (Darshaan), a dual stakes-placed grey who missed out on a Group 1 placing when fourth in the Prix Marcel Boussac at two, and she is a half-sister to the mile classic winner and Group 1 sire Aussie Rules (Danehill), and a full-sister to the stakes winner Approach (Darshaan), responsible for the dual Group 1 winner Coronet (Dubawi) and the Group 1 St Leger and Group 1 Irish Derby runner-up Midas Touch (Galileo).

Race record

GALILEO CHROME (IRE), Bay horse, 2017. Champion 3yr old stayer in Europe in 2020. Won 4 races, value £241,066, at 3, from 1 mile 2 furlongs to 1 mile 6½ furlongs, St Leger Stakes, Doncaster, Gr.1 and Irish Stallion Farms EBF Yeats Stakes, Navan, L., from only 5 starts.

At stud

Retired to stud in 2021. First crop now two-year-olds.

Information

Stands at: Starfield Stud, Ballynagall, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, N91 K8Y9, Ireland.

Contact: Micheál Orlandi

Telephone: +353 83 8092299

Email: info@compasstallions.com

Web: www.compasstallions.com

Fee: €3,000